CAR refugees: Sub-regional Snapshot: November 2013

Latest figures suggest that more than 600,000 people are now either internally displaced within CAR or have fled the violence to neighbouring countries. In a context of general lawlessness and impunity, as the violence spreads, the crisis risks becoming regionalised. Collaboration between UNICEF, UNHCR and WFP has been extremely successful in responding to the immediate basic needs of refugees in the neighbouring countries, but more needs to be done.

Renewed conflict in north western CAR has caused close to 30,000 internally displaced people to gather in three main areas in Bossangoa. The majority of the displaced are women and children living in deplorable conditions with major emergency needs in protection, access to safe water, sanitation, health care, food and shelter. In response to the crisis in Bossangoa, UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR, and NGOs are working to establish and sustain emergency services.

An escalation in the regionalisation of the conflict dynamics would make the current situation even more complex, forcing more people to flee and preventing IDPs and refugees who wish to return to their homes from doing so any time soon .